Trial set for woman accused of throwing her newborn into Lake Pontchartrain

Two weeks before she's scheduled to stand trial, a Metairie woman accused of drowning her newborn in Lake Pontchartrain last year failed to convince a judge Friday that detectives improperly obtained a confession and cannot be used against her.

Ciara Craig, 22, would spend the rest of her life in prison if she is convicted of second-degree murder of her newborn on Feb. 10, 2009. The trial is scheduled to begin March 15, before Judge Robert Pitre of the 24th Judicial District Court.

Her attorney, Morris Reed Sr., argued that Kenner detectives interviewed Craig before allowing her to seek medical treatment after she gave birth, and that the officers coerced a confession. He argued Craig was bleeding from giving birth during the police interviews. As such, Reed argued, the confession should never be used as evidence in a trial.

"You knew that she had gone through some type of child birth?" Reed asked Kenner Police Detective Charlotte Synigal on Friday.

"Yes," said Synigal, whose interview led to Craig's confession.

Synigal testified that Craig "thought she felt a heartbeat prior to putting the baby into the water."

Reed previously has suggested the child was stillborn. Assistant District Attorney Laura Schneidau has said autopsy results show the baby died from asphyxia by drowning.

Synigal acknowledged that Craig received medical attention from paramedics and was taken to the LSU Interim Public Hospital, but after 2 1/2 hours of interview at the Kenner Police Department. Craig had surrendered amid a search by detectives of area hotels for the person who placed the baby in the lake.

But while Craig cried at times during the interview, Synigal described her as "coherent" when she voluntarily waived her rights to remain silent and to have an attorney. Craig also said "she was OK" during the interview and never asked for medical treatment, the detective testified.

"At any point in time, she could have asked for that," Synigal said.

The detective denied telling Craig that if she talked, she'd get probation and be released from police custody that day. Craig, dressed in orange jail clothing and sitting with her attorney, silently shook her head.

She is held in the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in lieu of a $500,000 bond. Reed has said other inmates have beaten Craig during her incarceration.

It was Reed's second attempt to have evidence in the case tossed out, after a similar hearing Jan. 29. Like Friday's request, the earlier effort was rejected by Pitre, freeing Schneidau to use evidence and a confession at trial.

Authorities say Craig got pregnant during a one-night stand and hid the pregnancy from her family. She gave birth in her home before driving the infant to the lake.